JEDDAH: “Najd”, a Saudi film featuring Kuwaiti actress Hayat Al-Fahad, will be premiered in Saudi Arabia, in line with the approval of the General Entertainment Authority for cinemas to reopen in Saudi Arabia.
Khaled Al-Rajeh, a Saudi producer and writer, began preparation two years ago to produce his film “Najd” which revolves around Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt in the 1950s and the present.
In an Interview with MBC TV channel, star Al-Fahad talked about the new film. “It is about young couple’s story — the wife who keeps a secret throughout her life.”
Al-Fahad posted a photo of her in one of the newspapers that published the news of the film on her official Instagram account (@hayatalfahad) and commented: “Najd is the first Saudi film starring yours truly.”
The author and director of “Najd” is Sameer A’aref, who directed several well-known series and movies in the Gulf region, including the Saudi series “37 degrees,” “Tash 17 and 18” and “Shabab albomb 5,” which was classified as one of the most Googled series of 2017.
Najd was filmed in a number of heritage areas, including the Saudi areas of Siddus and Al-Oyainah, as well as several locations in Kuwait. Ninety percent was filmed in Saudi Arabia.
Mamdoh Al-Salem, who organized and supervised the first Saudi film festival with a total of 27 television shows under his name, told Arab News: “We cannot affirm which movie will be the first Saudi movie to be screened in Saudi Arabia as there is a huge number of producers and filmmakers working on a number of movies under international standards.”
“Let’s talk about a real cinema industry and what the Saudi audience wants to see, as until now filmmakers and producers cannot certify Saudi audience preferences as they just have YouTube and television programs as available sources. Are they looking to see comedy, action, drama, history or fantasy? It is a hard task to make predictions, except through experiments in making movies. Thus, our goal as filmmakers is to provide a real cinematic industry for Saudi movies with an international measure.”
The Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts (SASCA) in Riyadh and the Union of Producers help attract young faces to participate in the film, and has already chosen names.
The president of SASCA in Jeddah, Omar Al-Jasser, told Arab News: “The association helps many filmmakers and drama producers in the country to attract new faces and talents. We offer performance tests and then help to promote actors and actresses to cooperate with them.”
Najd is getting great reactions from people and stars on social media because of the start of Saudi cinema after the decision to reopen cinemas and theaters in the Kingdom.
The movie’s name refers to a geographical central region of Saudi Arabia in which 28 percent of Saudis live. Najd consists of the regions of Riyadh, Qassim and Hail.
Saudi film ‘Najd’ to premiere soon in Kingdom
Saudi film ‘Najd’ to premiere soon in Kingdom
Saudi authority sets new standards for beach operators on the Red Sea
JEDDAH: The Saudi Red Sea Authority has announced a new regulatory framework for beach operations, redefining beaches as managed operating sites rather than informal recreational spaces, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The framework introduces standardized requirements for beach operators, focusing on licensing, safety, risk management and service quality across coastal tourism activities.
Under the regulations, beach operations will be permitted only through licensed entities, with license issued for two-year periods.
Renewal applications must be submitted at least 30 days before expiration. The authority said the system is intended to bring consistency to beach management and provide operators with clearer operational timelines.
The framework applies along more than 1,800 km of Red Sea coastline and establishes a unified national approach to regulating beach activities. The authority said no beach operation will be allowed without an official license.
The initiative supports the authority’s broader objectives to develop a coastal tourism sector that contributes SR85 billion ($22.66 billion) to GDP by 2030, creates approximately 210,000 jobs, and attracts 19 million visitors, the SPA noted.
To ensure a smooth transition, the regulations will come into effect one month after their announcement, while existing operators will be granted a one-year grace period to comply.
Safety forms a central pillar of the new framework. Licensing conditions include environmental permits, insurance coverage, approved safety plans, defined activity zones, and assessments of beach capacity.
Operators will also be required to provide licensed lifeguards, safety equipment, and systems for incident reporting and analysis.
The requirements extend to infrastructure and operation standards, including compliance with the Saudi Building Code to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities and structural safety.
Operators are also encouraged to align with international benchmarks such as Blue Flag standards and the ISO 13009:2024 for beach management, the SPA added.
The authority said this framework is designed to reduce operational risks, improve oversight and support the sustainable development of coastal tourism.
Unified requirements reduce operational risks, minimize inconsistencies, and improve the sector’s ability to attract financing and scale sustainably.
